1. Decent Work Agenda & ILO policies and standards on Social Security ACTRAV-TURIN

2.  Decent Work: 21 st century expression of ILO constitutional mandate: “the primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.”  DW - ILO constituents’ response to ensuring fair globalization and promoting sustainable development agenda, nationally and internationally.

3. What is Decent Work? Work that is productive, gives fair income, security in the workplace & social protection for the family, equal opportunities & treatment, better prospects for - personal devt & social integration, freedom to organize & participate in decision making ----------------------------------------------------------- concept of decent work encompasses both individual and collective dimensions

4.  DW is not just a set of prescriptive policies but can also be seen as a framework or a process - for identifying problem areas – ‘decent work deficits’ – where priority attention can be focused in national poverty reduction and development strategies

5. DW Agenda – 4 pillars  Creation of productive employment & sustainable enterprises;  Implementing Standards (especially FP& RW - basic rights at work to all workers);  Development & expansion of inclusive social protection systems, including for those working in the informal economy; and  Social dialogue – as an instrument for participation & good governance, building consensus, conflict resolution & decision making. (Mainstreaming gender concerns in each of the above)

6. Challenges  How to realise Decent Work?  Growth first? And decent work later?  What is the place of fundamental rights of workers in growth strategy?  Are workers rights a matter of only ‘being good’ to workers? A human right issue only? Or do these rights have a development role to play? (FoA & CB rights)  What role do unions and workers representatives have to play in promotion of decent work?  Do unions have the capacity to play a participative role in economic development and promotion of decent work?

7. Informal employment/underemployment Precarious employment Standard Employment TU members Union Actions for whom?

8. Social Protection  Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all - One of the four strategic objectives of the Decent Work agenda  Seen as a human right and an essential element of social justice – BUT Social Security is also a development tool - it helps to lift people out of poverty, sustains consumption & demand, reduces income inequalities, is an investment in productive capacity of the people and source of domestically raised investment capital (pension funds & other contributions)

9. But what is the global situation? Roughly speaking …. Roughly speaking ….  20% of world population = adequate coverage  50% + of world population = no coverage  Less than 10% in least developed countries covered  20 to 60% in middle-income countries  Close to 100% in most industrialised countries

10. What is Social Protection?  Protection organised by society for its members through a set of public measures – the year 2000 vision (World Labour Report 2000 “ Income security and social protection in a changing world”)  Components of Social Protection - Social security - Safety and Health at work - Working conditions- Labour migration - HIV/AIDS However, the way ILO looks at social protection is changing…

11. MAIN SOCIAL SECURITY MECHANISMS TO CONTRIBUTORS SOCIAL ASSISTANCE CONTRIBUTIONS TAXES SOCIAL INSURANCE TO ALL… TO A FEW…

12. SOCIAL SECURITY: A RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH…   SOCIAL SECURITY … A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT (1948)   Duty of the State to provide SOCIAL SECURITY to all citizens – UNIVERSAL, PUBLIC/STATE PROVIDED, NON- DISCRIMINATORY, ADEQUATE, FUNDED THRU TAXES & TRIPARTITLY MANAGED   IN THE ASIAN CONTEXT, CAN WE THINK OF MORE BENEFITS?

13. key conventions on social security/protection Conventions   C 102 - Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952  Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964  C 121 - Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964  C 128 - Invalidity, Old-Age & Survivors’ Benefits Convention, 1967  C 130 - Medical Care and Sickness Benefits Convention, 1969  C 168 - Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment Convention, 1988  C 183 - Maternity Protection Convention, 2000  C 118 - Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962  C 157 - Maintenance of Social Security Rights Convention, 1982 Major Recommendations  R 67 - Income Security Recommeendation, 1944 (No. 67)  R 69 - Medical Care Recommendation, 1944 (No. 69) Which of the conventions has your countries ratified?

14. Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 C 102 - Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 1) Establishes the aims that must be met instead of describing the techniques that are to be applied 2) C 102 provides for 9 contingencies 3) Flexibilities provided – States ratifying C102 can chose any 3 contingencies (incl. one long-term or unemployment benefit) to provide for & progress as its capacities increase 4) Workers participation in the management of social security Health care/insurance Health care/insurance Sickness Sickness Old age Old age Invalidity Invalidity Unemployment Unemployment Employment injury Employment injury Maternity Maternity Family responsibilities Family responsibilities Death/survivors Death/survivors

15. Survivors Family allowances Employment injury benefits Maternity Sickness Pensions Invalidity Unemploymentbenefits Benefits Medical care

16. Ratification map of Convention No. 102 (46 ratifications as of July 2010)

17. Govts & Employers Arguments against C 102  Covers very few people & that too only in organized formal sector – needs of women and workers in informal economy not reflected.  Benefits level too high for tax financed universal schemes – not easy for developing countries to provide  Needs of workers in developing countries excluded (such as water, santitation,needs of children, minimum nutrition & role of public distribution, etc) & therefore need for new standard that can provide social protection floor for all. But is this true? __------------------------------------------------------------------------------  C.102 can be used as an instrument for the provision of a social floor if countries are guided in choosing all the different elements that would constitute such a social floor from among the 9 benefits that C102 provides for.

18. ILC 2001: THE NEED TO COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING MECHANISMS THE CONSTITUENTS IDENTIFIED 4 STRATEGIC WAYS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXTENSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY TO ALL…   EXTENSION OF SOCIAL INSURANCE (CONTRIBUTORY SYSTEMS)   PROMOTION OR DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (TAX-FINANCED)   INTRODUCTION OF UNIVERSAL BENEFITS SYSTEMS (TAX- FINANCED)   ENCOURAGEMENT OF MICRO-INSURANCE SCHEMES (community based)

19. SOCIAL SECURITY EXTENSION: THE MECHANISMS UNIVERSAL BENEFITS SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SOCIAL INSURANCE MICRO- INSURANCE TAX CONTRIBUTIONS WORKER + EMPLOYER + GOVERNMENT (?) MEMBER ALONE?

20. Campaign for extension of coverage – the year 2009 vision 1. Basic coverage for all, universal but not necessarily uniform coverage (accepting pluralism) 2. Responsibility of the state but delivery can be shared with private sector & communities where feasible 3. Rights based – “Everyone has the right to social security” (Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) 4. Social outcomes in terms of adequate benefit levels have to be reached, independent of the organization. ILO conventions are important as global safeguards and benefit benchmarks.

21. Basic social package – Social Security Floor A new instrument in the making – proposal: 1) through a public health service funded by taxes, social and private insurance and micro-insurance systems 1) Universal basic essential health care for all - through a public health service funded by taxes, social and private insurance and micro-insurance systems 2) – aimed to facilitate access to basic social services - nutrition, education, housing 2) Basic child benefits – aimed to facilitate access to basic social services - nutrition, education, housing 3) – access to basic means tested/self targeting social assistance for the poor and the unemployed in active age groups 3) Income support – access to basic means tested/self targeting social assistance for the poor and the unemployed in active age groups 4) Income security – for people in old age, invalidity and survivors through basic pensions

22. The campaign strategy: the social security development staircase Voluntary participation Contributory social security Semi-contributory social security Family benefits Unemployment insurance & minimum revenue Social pensions, old age and special needs Access to health care and essential services SP Floor (non contributory)